Bottle-filling apparatus



F. w, MULLER. BOTTLE FlLLlNG APPARATUS.

. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3., 1921- 1,387,507 Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

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u 12 o 1 i: l i 6 A avwewbo o I? MM/ 'F. W. MULLER.

BOTTLE FILLING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3. 1921.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921. I

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 nome c FM 14 071% @Homvug I not heretofore been installed,

bottles presented to the machine for filling men rnnp w. MiiLLER, on nonoxnn, NEW JERSEY.

BOTTLE-FILLING APPARATUS Specificationof Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 169, 1921.

Application filed March 3, 1921. Serial No. 449,445.

To all whomz't may concern:

Be it known that l, Finn) W. MfiLLnR, a

citizen of the llnited States of America, re-.

siding at Hoboken, county of Hudson, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful. Improvements in Bottleli illing Apparatus, of which the following is a specilication. I

l\ y invention relates to bottle filling apparatus oi the type in which the'liquid with which the bottle is to be filled is expelled from a tank under the pressure ofair or other gas, and comprises certain improvements on this type of apparatus designed to make the valves that control the out-flow of liquid from the tank to the bottle and the How of air from the bottle to the tank, auto matic, so that they are operated by the actof connecting the bottle to or disconnecting it from the tank and also so that the said valves will be closed automatically if the connection of the bottle to the tank proves to be a bad one allowing liquid to escape through said imperfect connection.

In the general type of bottle-filling apparatus above referred to, it has been customary to have the valve making the desired connection between the bottle interior and the tank interior manually operated and the main reason why an automatic apparatus for opening and closing'these connections has is that many have broken or irregular mouth-a so that a liquid orair-tight connection with the tank. is not effected and consequently, if the valves are operated automatically by the movement of the bottle, the liquid or the gasused as countenpressn re, or both, willescape through the defective connection. My present inven tion overcomes this diliiculty by providing means for automatically closing the filling valves whenever such a. defective connection occurs as well as when the bottle is disconnected from the tank in normal operation of the machine. r

The best form of. apparatus at present known to me embodying my. invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

in which Figure 1 is a side elevation and partial central section of an apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention, and

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail elevation and is of the 'tain liquid and air or the upper or gas zones of tanks 1 partial section of the valve-controlling apparatus.

Throughout the drawings like reference characters indicate like parts.

1 is the filling tank which as here shown doughnut type, adapted to concarbonic acid under pressure. 2 is an equalizing tank on the same level as the main filling tank and preferably located centrally of thelatter. This equalizing tank 2 is connected tothe filling tank by tubes 3, 3, at the upper and lower levels, one set of connections being above the normal liquid level 16, 16, and the other set below said level. The liquid for use in fillng the bottles may be delivered to the equalizing tank by means of an intermittently operating valve with large port openings indicated at 15, and operating in the manner described in my pending allowed application Serial No. 333,922 filed October 28, 1919, allowed January. 11, 1921. The liquid is supplied under a pressure of sixty pounds, through the supply pipe 14, which comes up through the central pedestal 4 on which the tanks 1 and 2 are supported from the base 5. The tanks and pedestal 4 revolve on the base 5, as does 6 attached to the pedestal 4 which carries a series of vertical cylinders 7 in which operate pistons 8 under the control of a vacuum produced from suction from any suitable source exerted through mains 9 under control of valve apparatus 10 automatically controlled by stationary trips 11, or by other means, in the well known way, so that as the tank and spider revolve and the valve apparatus 10 passes said trips, air is drawn from or admitted to the cylinders 7s0 asto raise the connected bottle holders l2 toforce a bottle, as 13, held thereby, against the filling connection on the under side of the tank 1, or to Withdraw said bottle from said filling connection after it has been filled from the tank. The counter-pressure is supplied to and 2, through pipe 45.

e foregoing either common in the prior art or covered by my prior applications. The present invention comprises the apparatus for connecting the bottle mouth to the under side of the tank 1 and for automatically controlling the 'flow of the liquid from said tank to the interior also the spider described apparatus is position of said bottle and the flow of the air contained in the bottle to the gas zone of tank 1, in order to permit the liquid to enter the bottle in its place.

17, 17, represent short pipes set in the bottom of tank 1 and extending in line with the axes of bottles to be held by the bottle holders 12, 12, and connected to the liquid zone of tank 1. 18, 18, are sliding caps mounted on tubes 17, 17 and having flaring skirts 46 adapted to receive the mouths of the bottles. These caps do not make an air-tight connection with the pipes 17, but

grooves or other spaces 19, 19, are left between the two. 20 is a depending cylinder attached to the under side of tank 1 and surrounding its corresponding pipe 17. In the upper portion of each sliding cap 18 is annular recess 49 as shown in cross section at the right hand side of Fig. 1. hen any cap 18 is lifted into contact with the rubber facing 47 on the under side of the washer 21 above it, the small annular chamber then formed by recess 49 affords communication between the air vent 19 in the cap and that 22 which extends through the washer 21 and the rubber facing 47 so that a continuous venting passage for the air from the bottle interior to chamber 202 is thereby established. 21 is a movable washer mounted onpipe 17 and in cylinder 20, and 22, 22, are air vents between said washer and saidpipe 17, similar to those 19, 19, between the cap 18 and said pipe. The space inclosed by the bottom of tank 1, cylinder 20 and washer 21, forms a pressure equalizing chamber 202, the function of which will be hereinafter described. At the same time the cylinder 20 and movable washer 21 form a telescoping connection between the bottle .13 in the holder 12 and the tank 1, when said holder lifts the bottle and the sliding cap 18 far enough to cause theupper end of said cap to come in contact with the rubber or other facing 47 on the under surface of the washer 21, so as to lift said washer from its normally low position, shown at the lefthand of Fig. 1, to a higher position shown at the righthand of said figure.

23 is a tube also set in an opening in the bottom of tank 1 but extending upward to a point in the interior of said tank above the normal liquid level 16, 16. 24 is a double-acting valve mounted in said tube and adapted to close the upper end thereof when in its normal low position, as shown at the left-hand side of Fig. 1, or to close the, lower end of said tube 23 when it is lifted into the shown at the right-hand of Fig. 1. The tube 23 is a pressure equalizing tube controlled by said valve 24 so as to operate intermittently to permit the gas under pressure to flow from tank 1 into the equalizing chamber 202 formed by the cylinder 20, as above described. Normally this valve 24 is closed by gravity, as shown at the lefthand of Fig. 1, and no gas pressure may escape from tank 1 through tube 23. As the bottle rises tomake its, connection with the tank 1, the trip finger 25 carried by washer 21 strikes the lower end of valve 23 and lifts it, thus permitting gas to escape from tank 1 to equalizing chamber 202 momentarily. The stroke of piston 8 operating the bottle holder 12, is so proportioned that when it has reached nearly its upwardlimit the washer 2,1 and trip finger 25 will have been raised far enough (assuming a bottle of standard length or approximately standard length, is in the holder), to set valve 24 againstv the lower end of tube 23 and so close off connection between tank 1 and chamber 202 through said tube.

26 is a gravity-operated valve controlling the outflow of liquid from the liquid zone of tank 1 to tube 17'. Preferably this valve is flexibly hung from the supporting lever 27, which has an adjustable counter-weight 28, said lever being pivoted at 57 upon any convenient fixed support. As shown, said support is carried by the lower end of the conduit 30, which has its lower end immersed in the liquid zone of tank 1, while its upper end projects into the gas zone of said tank. The upp er end of this conduit 30 has an enlarged portion 31 forming a chamber for the float 39. This float chamber is nearly closed at the top by the cap 32 having the central bore or perforation 33. 35 is another conduit set in an opening in the bottom wall of tank 1, communicating at its lower end with the equalizing chamber 202 while its upper end extendsabove the liquid level in said tank and may be closed by a screw cap 36. 34 is a passage extending from an air blow-off conduit 35 through the cap 32 tothe upper side thereof. 37 is a gravity check valve mounted on the seat 38 on the upper surface of cap 32, so as to close the space around the bore 33 and the mouth of passage 34 when resting on its seat. This upper check valve may be guided by any convenient loosely fitting cage or cylindrical shell 48.

39 is a float, in the shape of an inverted cup preferably, located in the chamber formed by the enlargement 31 of conduit 30, provided on its upper face with a cone 40 adapted to be seated in the central bore 33 of cap 32, and serving as a downwardlyopening check valve for the passage formed by said bore. 41 is a cage for float 39 to insure its rising and falling in a substantially straight line sothat cone 40 may properly seat itself in the bore 33 when the float rises. The lower edge of the float 39 seats itself on the annular shoulder 42 in the wall of conduit 30, connecting the main portion of said conduit with the enlargedportion 31, when the float is in its lowermost position.

43 is a valve rod connected to the "free end of the lever 27 atits lower end and having its upper end seated in the cone-shaped socket 44: formed in the under surface of the cup-shaped float 39. e 1

The above described apparatus operates as follows:

Normally the liquid outflow valve 26 is closed so that no liquid can pass through the tube 17; the valve 24 is in the position shown at the lefthand of Fig. l, acting as a check valve on the upper end of the equalizing tube 23 to prevent outflow of through said tube, and the upper check valve 37 rests upon its seat 38, preventing outflow of gas from the tank 1 through passage 34 and blow-off conduit 35. At the same time the float 39 is held up by pressure of the fluid under it in the position shown in dotted lines at the lefthand of Fig. 1, so that its cone 40 is seated in bore 33 of cap 32 and serves as a downwardly opening upwardly closing check valve, preventing the further up-flow of liquid through conduit 30 and out through-central bore 33 and passage 34 to blow oil conduit 35. When a bottle engages the sliding cap 13 and rises to push said sliding cap up against the washer 21 and then lifts said washer 21 until trip 25 strikes the lower end of valve 24:, some of the gas in tank 1 passes out through tube 23 to chamber 202, pressure in said chamber and to a certain extent raising the pressure in the connected bottle by passing down through air vents 22 and 19 to said bottle interior. When pressures are equalized in tank 1 and chamber 202, the connect1on through conduit 35, passage 3 1 and bore 33, equalizes the pressures above and below the float 39 and it drops by gravity into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, lifting valve 26 into the position shown-at the right-hand of Fig. 1, so that liquid may flow by gravity through A tube 17 into the interior of bottle 13,. forcing out the airtherein contained, through air vents 19 and 22 into chamber 202. As the full rise of the bottle has caused trip, finger 25 to lift valve 24- and close off connection between tank 1 and chamber 202, through conduit 23, the air from the bottle must pass on through air blow-off conduit 35 and passage 34 to the double-ported chamber formed by cap 32 and valve 37. As float 39'now rests on shoulder 42 and serves as a check valve'against the passage ofthis escaping air down through conduit 30 into the liquid zone of tank 1, the air can only escape by lifting upper check valve 37 and discharg ing into the gas zone of tank 1. When all the air has been expelled from the bottle,

by the liquid flowing down through tube 1'? to fill it, the further operation of the apparatus lowers said bottle and as washer 21- drops it allows valve 24 to fall. and seat itpressed air or establishing an equal movement of the bottle eventually breaks the connection between the sliding cap 18 and washer 21, so that some of the comgas in chamber 202 escapes, reducing the pressure therein below thatin tank' 1; thereupon check valve 37 falls (if not already resting on its seat 38), closing the upper port of the double-ported chamber before described and the liquid in conduit 30 is forced up again by the pressure in the tank 1, carrying with it the float 39 until the cone projection 40. thereon seats itself again in bore 33, thereby closing off the lower port of said double-ported chamber. Any escape from tank 1 of either liquid or gas through conduit 35 is thus prevented so long as the pressure in chamber 202 is ap preciably below that in tank 1. The rising of float 39 permits the counter-weight 28 to oscillate lever 27 seating liquid valve 26 in the port. communicating with tube 17 thus preventing anyfurther escape of fluid to said tube. Consequently all further outflow of gas or liquid from tank 1 is prevented until another bottle is placed in the holder and the operation is repeat-ed. From the preceding that before any bottle has raised the sliding cap 18 around any particular tube 17 (i. a, when the parts are in the position shown at the left hand of Fig. 1), the outflow of liquid through tube 17 is cut off by valve 26 which has been moved to seat itselfthrough action of the adjustable weight 28 which has been freed from the overbalancing action of the combined float and valve 39 by reason of the fact that said float has been raised bythe first rush of the liquid up through conduit description it will be understood 9 filled bottle has been broken and the fluid pressure. in the. conduit 35 has been thereby allowed to drop from the equivalent of tank pressure to atmospheric pressure. At the same time that this has occurred, the valve &0 has been seated in. the mouth ofbore by the rise of the combined float and valve 39, and the reduction of pressure in the double ported chamber resulting from the outflow ofugas therefrom, through the passage 34 and conduit 35, has resulted in check valve 37 being forced down on its seat 38 to form :a gas tight union with said seat so that the counter-pressurein the tank 1 can not act to force any of the gas out through sliding cap 18 and its corresponding washer 21 have been raised by another bottle to the position shown at the right hand of Fig. 1, the counter-pressure momentarily admitted to chamber 202 by the movement of valve 2a has equalized the pressure in the double ported chamber between valve 37 and cap 32 with the tank pressure so that then combined float and valve 39 falls by gravity, overbalancing weight 28 and opening valve 26. Thereupon the liquid flows down through tube 17 to the interior of the bottle by gravity, displacing the air contained in said bottle which flows up through vents 19 and 21, through chamber 202 and conduit 35 and passageway 3 1, lifting the check valve 87 and escaping to the gas zone of the tank in the manner usual in bottle filling apparatus of this general type.

If, when the bottle rises to make the telescoping connection with the tank 1, there is a defective connection between said bottle mouth and the sliding cap 18, because of defective shape of said mouth or a fracture therein, it is evident that the compressed air admitted into the equalizing chamber 202 through conduit 23, for a short period of time during the final upward movement of the bottle, will escape so rapidly through vents 22, 19, into the bottle and out again through this defective connection, that the necessary equality of pressure between the doubled-ported chamber in the upper end of the conduit 30 and the tank 1 will not be established and consequently the valves 26 and 40 will not be opened and there will be no escape of ii uid or of gas from tank 1. The operator, noticing that the bottle does not fill, can then remove the same and replace it with a perfect bottle.

If during the process of filling a bottle bursts, the resultant drop of pressure in chamber 202, will cause check valves 37 and 10 to close instantly, thereby also closing the liquid outflow valve 26, so that again there will be no outflow of liquid or counter-pres sure gas from the filling tank.

It is obvious that various changes can be made in the details of the apparatus herein described and illustrated without departing from the principle of my invention as here in described and claimed, so long as the relative co'riperation and general method of operation herein described are retained to a substantial degree.

Having described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a bottle filling apparatus comprising a tank adapted to contain bodies of gas and liquid under pressure, a passageway ex-' tending from a point in the tank above the normal liquid level therein to the exterior thereof, a passageway extending from a point in the tank below the normal liquid level therein to the exterior thereof, with the outer ends of which passageways the mouth of a bottle may be put in communication, and apparatus for raising a bottle to establish such communication or lowering it to destroy such communication, the combination with said elements above recited, of a valve mechanism adapted to control the flow of fluid through the first above mentioned passageway, a valve mechanism adapted to control the flow of fluid throughthe second above mentioned passageway, and, means automatically operated by a rising bottle during the period of establishing such communication to permit the opening of both said valves only when the fluid pressure in the passageways to the bottle equals that in the tank and to permit the automatic closing of both said valves whenever the fluid pressure in said passageways .is less than that in said tank.

2. In a bottle filling apparatus comprising a tank adapted to hold bodies of gas and liquid under pressure, a passageway extending from the liquid zone to the exterior of the tank, a second passageway. extending from the gas zone to the exterior of the tank, apparatus for raising a bottle and putting it in communication with both said passageways, a valve controlling the passageway for the liquid, and apparatus permitting the movement of said valve controlled by the rising motion of the bottle and operated by the gas pressure in the tank, the combination, with such above recited apparatus,.of a normally closed, inwardly opening, free check valve controlling the outflow of gas-from the gas zone of the tank through the second passageway whereby upon gas tight communications with the bottle liquid may flow from the tank into the bottle and air may flow from the bottle to the tank but upon escape of fluid through said communications, said check valve will automatically close and prevent escape of gas from the tank. v v

3. A bottle filling apparatus comprising in combinationatank adapted-to hold gas and liquid under pressure, a tube extending downward from said tank and connected to the liquid zone thereof, a conduit having an outlet through the tank wall near said'tube and an inlet portion extending into the liquid zone therein, a movable member located in said inlet portion, and adapted to move toward the conduit inlet when the fluid pressures. at the conduit inlet and outlet are equal and to move toward the conduit outlet when the fluid pressure at the conduit outlet is less than that at the inlet, a puppet valve controlling the outflow of liquid through the tube, mechanism coiiperating with the movable member and adapted to open said puppet valve when the movable member travels toward the conduit inlet and to close it when the movable member travels toward the conduit outlet, mechanism for lifting a bottle so that its'neck moves up around the tube into communicationwith the conduit outlet, and means for establishing the establishment of.

and maintaining a fluid pressure at the conduit outlet equal to that in the tank interior when and so long as the connection from the conduit to the bottle is gas tight.

4:. A combination such as set forth in claim 3 in which the conduit therein described extends up through the gas zone of the tank and then down so that its inlet end is submerged in the liquid zone thereof, and the movable member in said conduit is a float.

5. In a bottle filling apparatus having a tank adapted to hold gas and liquid under pressure, a port in the tank wall below the normal liquid level and a conduit extending from the tank exterior to a point in its interior above said level and then downward so that its inlet end, is submerged in the liquid zone of the tank the combination, with the above described elements, oi a valve controlling the outflow of liquid through the above mentioned port, a double ported chamber located in that portion of the condult above the liquid level, the upper port of which chamber communicates with the gas zone of the tank while the lower port thereof connects with the inlet portion of the conduit, an upwardly openingcheck valve seated in the upper port, a float in the inlet portion of the conduit adapted to act as a valve to close the lower port when the liquid level rises in said inlet portion of the conduit, and mechanism adapted to close the valve controlling the liquid outflow port of the tank when the above mentioned float rises and to open said valve when said float falls.

6. In a bottle filling apparatus having a tank adapted'to hold liquid and gas under pressure, a port in the tank wall below the normal liquid level and a conduit extending from the tank exterior to a point in its interior above said level, 'the combination, with the above described elements, of a valve controlling the outflow of liquid through the said port, a second conduit ex? tending from the liquid zone of the tank up into the gas zone and having an enlargement above the normal liquid level and a double ported chamber formed in its upper end, to which chamber the upper end of the first mentioned conduit is connected, an upwardly opening check valve controlling the upper port of said chamber, a float in the enlarged portion of the second conduit normally seated on the shoulder connecting the walls of said enlarged portion with the walls of the lower portion of the said conduit but adapted to serve as a valve to close the lower portot the double ported chamber when lifted by the upflo-w of liquid through the said second mentioned conduit, and mechanism through which the movement of said I float may also open or close the outflow valve from the liquid zone of the tank.

'7. A structure such as set forth in claim 6, combined with means for admitting to the double ported chamber fluid the gas zone of the tank through the conduit first mentioned in said claim.

8. In a bottle filling apparatus having a tank adapted to hold gas and liquid under well below the pressure, a port in the tank normal liquid level and a conduit extending from the tank exterior to a point in its interior above said level, the combination, with the above described elements, of a valve controlling the outfiow of liquid through the above mentioned port, an extension l-or the upper portion of the above mentioned conduit, which extension opens in the liquid zone of the tank, a double-ported chamber located between the conduit and the extension and above the liquid level, the upper port of which chamber communicates with the gas zone of the tank while the lower port thereof connects with the inlet portion of the conduit extension, an upwardly opening pressure from check valve seated in the upper port, a movable member located in the conduit extension below the double-ported chamber and adapted to act as a valve to close the lower port of said chamber when the pressure on the lower surface of said movable member xceeds that on its'upper surface, and to open said port when the said excess of pressure-is removed, and mechanism cooperating with said movable member to close the valve controlling the-liquid outflow port of the tank when the above mentioned movable member rises and to open said valve when said member falls.

9. In a bottlecfilling apparatus, the combination with a tank adapted to hold gas and liquid under pressure, a tube extending from the lower portion of the liquid zone or the tank to the exterior thereof, a conduit extending from a higher point in the tank interior to its exterior, a valve controlling outflow through the tube, a member located in the conduit and adapted to be reciprocated therein by to and fro movements of fluids therein, and cooperating mechanism permitting the valve to open when said memher is moved toward the conduit inlet'and to close when said member is moved in the opposite direction.

FRED W. MULLER. 

